I learned the scuttlebutt at the elementary school. “Did you hear about Paula?” another mom asked. “She slipped in her kitchen and broke her pelvis.” Oh no, I thought. No no no. There is never a good time to break one’s pelvis. If you’re the owner of a toy store, however, the week before Thanksgiving may claim top prize as … Read More
Issue 1: My Book Is Here. Well, Almost.
I’ve spent nearly three years working on it. Luckily, you only have to wait 11 days. My first book, This Is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live, will be published by Viking/Penguin on June 21. In a nutshell, it’s about how to put down roots and be happy in your city—and how, after … Read More
How 800 residents of Powell, Wyoming, opened a store together
In 2002, when the last clothing store shut down in the ranching town of Powell, Wyoming, the 5,300 residents feared for the future of their Main Street, which was already disintegrating into a gap-toothed ghost town of shuttered storefronts and struggling shops. A Super Walmart had just passed them up for nearby Cody; wouldn’t everyone drive over there for their … Read More
Why I spent a ton of money on Small Business Saturday
This year, my daughter’s thirteenth birthday happened to land on the day after Thanksgiving, and so, because she’s officially a teenager and required by law to obsess over clothes, we went Black Friday shopping. On Thanksgiving night. For four hours. The mall was exactly the bacchanal of consumerism that you’d expect, and yes, I did get a very cute jean jacket at the Gap, thank you … Read More
What I’m reading: Maine and Vermont edition
I have historically been more of a book borrower than a book buyer, but in light of the fact that I want EVERYONE I KNOW to buy my book, in hardback, at MSRP, when it comes out, I’m trying to mend my ways. Plus, books make amazing souvenirs. Here’s what made it into my book bag on a trip to … Read More
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